Shoe polish kit



Sept- 19, 1961 w. c. HARRIS ETAL 3,000,035

SHOE POLISH KIT Filed sept. 15, 19Go iii MONEY Patented Sept. 19., 1961 hice 3,000,035 SHOE POLISH KIT William C. Harris, Racine, and John Jay Anderson,

Kenosha, Wis., assignors to S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.,

Racine, Wis.

Filed Sept. 15, 1960, Ser. No. 56,176 9 Claims. (Cl. 15-258) This invention relates to a shoe polishing article. More particularly, it relates to an improved shoe polish kit which greatly reduces the labor required in polishing shoes, improves the cleanliness of the task and permits the use of all of the polish provided.

Polish such as paste wax has been used for many years to preserve and beautify shoes. Many different containers and applicators have been used for packaging and applying the polish. During the past quarter of a century, the most commonly used container consisted of a relatively flat box. Frequently, a piece of textile such as wool or felt for applying the polish was placed in the container or attached externally to it. Application of polish to shoes using a piece of textile with the fingers is not a desirable task, nor is it a Very clean one. Several other disadvantages have accompanied the use of conventional shoe polish packages. The usual consumer does not use nearly all of the polish provided in conventional containers. Most polishes contain volatile ingredients which evaporate upon extended exposure to the atmosphere, causing the polish to become hard, to shrink and crack. As a result, its spreading and buing characteristics deteriorate. Also, lshrinkage of the polish causes the polish to become loosened from the container, permitting movement within the container. This makes it diflicult to transpose the remaining polish to the applicator without restraining its movement with the fingers.

A few shoe polish kits disclosed in the literature have attempted to overcome some of the disadvantages of the more conventional kits. For example, there have been disclosed tubular shoe polish packages having daubers for applying the polish secured to the covers of the package. In use, polish is transposed from the container to the dauber by frictionally engaging the polish and dauber and then transposing the polish to the shoes. Since the cover, rather than the dauber itself, is held by the fingers much uncleanliness is avoided. However, such devices do not completely eliminate the uncleanliness inherent in the use of conventional kits in the care-of shoes. Shoe polish has a tendency to adhere to the edges of the dauber as Well as to its face. In use, polish adhering to the edge of the dauber is easily transposed to the fingers or clothing. When this does not occur, it is transposed to the shoes in irregular quantities and requires additional buiiing to achieve a coating of consistent thickness and luster. Also, the existing improved packages have not reduced the tendency of shoe polish to crack and become hard upon aging.

All of the disadvantages discussed above are overcome with the present shoe polishing article. The broadest object of the invention is a unique shoe polish kit which improves and simplies the polishing of shoes.

Another object of the present invention is a shoe polish container which substantially reduces evaporation of the more volatile components of the polish.

Another object of the invention is a shoe polish container in which the polish does not harden or crack under normal usage.

Still another object of the invention is a shoe polish container having means for preventing the polish from becoming loosened from the container, thereby moving within the container.

A further object of the invention is a shoe polishing article having a self-cleaning dauber for applying polish, thereby permitting the polishing of shoes without transposing a portion of the polish to the hands, clothing or surrounding articles.

A still further object of the invention is a shoe polishing article including -a polish applicator having means for adequately securing the polish applicator within the polish container to prevent inadvertent droppage or rattling.

The above and other objects will become apparent from the following description of the invention.

Generally described, the present invention comprises a shoe polishing kit comprising in combination a polish container having a removable cover and a polish applicator disposed within the container, the applicator comprising a dauber for applying polish secured to a hollow member having an opening for holding a bufling cloth. Also embraced by the invention is a shoe polish container comprising in combination a polish cup having an outwardly flaring upper lip and a cover therefor, the cover comprising a side wall and an end wall, the side wall having a horizontally disposed circumferential indentation, `whereby when the polish cup and cover are assembled, a substantially air tight seal is effected between the outwardly flaring lip of the cup and the circumferential indentation of the side wall of the cover.

Further embraced by the invention is a shoe polishing article comprising in combination a polish cup having a bottom wall and a side wall, the side wall having a horizontally disposed circumferential indentation and a polish applicator comprising a side wall and a bottom wall having a dauber secured thereto, the `diameter of the applicator dauber being slightly greater than the diameter of the polish cup at its point of indentation, whereby when assembled or disassembled the dauber is cleaned at its periphery, and when assembled is secured in position under slight compression.

As an additional novel feature, the polish cup may have protrusions extending from one or both of the Walls into the cups interior for the purpose of inhibiting movement of the polish if it becomes loosened from the walls of the cup. Also, the cup is preferably equipped with a sealing foil secured to the outwardly flaring lip of its side wall and extending `across the cups open end to prevent evaporation of the volatile components of the polish. When the polish cup is equipped with such a sealing foil, the polish applicator is mounted thereon. When the kit including the sealing foil is assembled, the -applicator is compressed slightly between the sealing foil and the container cover, thereby preventing the applicator from rattling Within the container. The sealing foil also prevents the dauber from scufng the surface of the polish before its initial use. Preferably, the container is equipped with means for locking the cover into position on the polish cup.

Turning to the drawings, FIGURE l is a perspective view of the polish container in assembled form. FIG- URE 2 is a cross section of the shoe polish kit in assembled form along line 2 2 of FIGURE l. FIGURE 3 is is an exploded perspective view of the complete kit. FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of the present kit assembled after the removal of the sealing foil from the polish cup. A pie-shaped segment along line 4--4 of FIGURE l has been removed to permit a View of the interaction between the dauber and the polish cup.

In the drawings, the container comprises a paste cup 11 with overcap 10. Cup 11 is partially filled with a paste wax 27 as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4. The cup possesses detents 18 and 19 in its bottom wall, and detents 30 and 31 in its side Wall. Circumscribing the side wall of the paste cup 11 is a horizontally disposed indentation 17. Above the indentation 17 the cup has an outwardly aring side wall lip 16. Mounted over the outwardly flaring lip 16 is a sealing foil 20 which extends Yacross the topof the paste cup 11 effecting a substantially air tight trto prevent evaporation of the volatile components of the polish. Overcap which is equipped with a horizontally disposed indentation 12 has a slightiy larger diameter than does polish cup 11. The overcap 10 also has detents 15 and 15a. When the container is assembled, detent 15 and 15a engage the locking ring 14 `which also circurnscribes paste cup 11. The outwardly flaring lip 16 of the polish cup 11 covered with the sealing foil Y2t, engages the circumferential indentation 12 of overcap 10, also effecting a substantially air tight seal.

Mounted over the sealing foil 20 and within overcap 1i) is polish applicator 21. It comprises a hollow cylindrical member 22 closed or partially closed at its lower -end 24. Secured to end 24 is a dauber 23. Disposed within the cylindrical member 22 is a polishing cloth 25.

Y When the kit is assembled as in FIGURE 2, the polish applicator is under pressure between sealing foil 2@ and the top wall of overcap 10 so that dauber 23 is slightly compressed. VUnder these conditions, the applicator 21 is in contact with the top wall of the overcap at the point designated 26.

Y FIGURE 4 discloses the present kit assembled after the sealing foil 20 has been removed for use. There it will be seen that the dauber 23 is engaged by the circumferv'heavy amount of polish Will be applied to any particular portion of the shoe. It also reduces the possibility that small pieces of polish will fall from the applicator dauber onto the floor or-other surrounding materials where shoes are being treated. In FIGURE 4, as in FIGURE 2, the

Y operation of sealing and locking members can be seen.

Locking detents 15 and 15a of overcap 10 engage the locking ring 14 of the polish cup, and the outwardly iaring lip 16 of the polish cup 11 engages the lower shoulder of the circumferential indentation 12 of overcap 10. The seal effected between lip 16 and indentation 12 prevents evaporation of the volatile components of the polish both before and after the sealing foil 20 is removed. The

greatest need for this seal exists, of course, after the sealing foil has been removed. The lock effected by detents 15 and 15a engaging locking ring 14 prevents accidental' loss of the overcap. Locking ring 14 also provides a seal between its outer edge and the inner surface of the side wall of overcap 10.

ln use, overcap 10 is removed from polish cup 11 and is followed by the removal of sealing foil 20. The sealing foil is usually discarded after its initial removal. Polish applicator 21 is gripped with the fingers about its side wall 22 and rotated within polish cup 11 while exerting a slight downwardly directed force causing dauber 23 to become engaged with polish 27. After the desired amount of polish is transposed to the dauber 23, the applicator 21 is removed from the polish cup 11 during which removal the sides of the dauber are freed of any excess amount of polish by its compressed engagement with the circumferential indentation'17 in the side wall of the polish cup.V The polish now on the dauber is applied to the shoes to be treated with smooth gentle strokes. AThe sharp curved line produced at the junction of the face and the side walls of the dauber facilitates the application of an .even coat of polish to parts of the shoe normally difficult to reach, for example, the recess existing at the Yjunction of the side walls and the insole. After an adequate coat of polish is applied, the applicator is returned to the polish cup where it is secured by the pressure exerted between the wall of dauber 23 and the circumerential indentation 17 of the side wall of the polish cup. The shoes to which the polish has been applied are then buffed with butfing cloth 25. Thereafter the cloth is Ireturned to the hollow portion of applicator 21. Theovercap `is placed in position whereby detents 15 yand 15a engage sealing ring -14 and the outwardly flaring lip 16 of the polish cup 11 engages tlrecircumferential indentation 12 of overcap 10 eecting af-substantially airtight seal. The .kit is then stored for futur'euse.

The present polish kit vwill be constructed from conventional materials. Metal, carboard or plastic may be used for the polish cup, overcap and applicatof'side and bottom walls. The dauber will consist of an absorbent material such as sponge rubber, polyurethane, felt or other similar material.

be metal. When this combination of materials is used, the dauber is conveniently secured to the bottom wall of the applicator by elevating the temperature of the bottom wall and then bringing it into `contact with the polyurethane dauber. An improved seal may be achieved by lcoating the bottom wall of the applicator with a Vsuitable adhesive such as a partially cured lthermosetting phenolic or epoxy resin before its assembly with the dauber.

The invention has been generally described and ampliiied by reference to la particular embodiment. It will be appreciated that numerous modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims. Now having described the invention, what is claimed is: Y

1. A shoe polishing article comprising in combination an essentially cylindrical polish cup comprising a bottom wall and a side wall having a circumferential indentation, and an essentially cylindrical polish applicator comprising a side wall Vand a bottom Wall having a dauber secured thereto, the circumference of the dauber of said applicator being slightly greater than the circumference of the polish cup at its point of indentation, whereby during assembly and disassembly, the dauber is cleaned at its periphery and when assembled is secured in position under compression.

2. A shoe polishing *article Ain vaccordance with claim l wherein the wall of said polish cup contains means extending intro said polish cup for engaging the polish to be contained in said cup whereby when the dauber of said applicator is rotated against the surface of the polish to be contained in the cup, the bulk of the polish is heid firmly to the polish cup and a useful amount is transposed to the dauber by the friction developed between the dauber and the surface of the polish.

3. A shoe polishing article in accordance with claim 2 wherein means extending into said polish cup are indentations in a wall of said cup.

4. A shoe polish container comprising in combination a polish cup. having aV bottom wall and a side wall, said side wall having a substantially horizontally disposed outwardly flaring upper lip and an overcap for said polish cup having a substantially horizontally disposed indented band whereby the outwardly flaring upper lip of the side wall of said polish cup engages the indented band of said overcap, thereby eecting a substantially airtight seal.

5. A shoe polish container in'accordance with claim 4 wherein the side Walls ofv said polish cup and overcap are equipped withlocking means for securing said polish cup and overcap in assembled position.

6. A shoe polish kit comprising in combination an essentially cylindrical polish cup comprising a bottom wall and a side Wall, said side wa'll havingra circumferential indentation and an outwardly flaring `upper lip, and an essentially cylindrical polish applicator comprising a side wall and a bottom wall having a dauber secured thereto, the circumference of the dauber of said appli- Preferably, the dauber will beV polyurethane and the remainder of the applicator will cator being slightly greater than the circumference of the polish cup at its point of indentation, whereby when assembled for use, said polish cup and polish applicator are held together by compression between the dauber of said applicator and the circumferential indentation of said polish cup, and an essentially cylindrical overcap for said polish cup and applicator comprising an end wall and a side wall, the side Wall of said overcap having a horizontally disposed indented band, -Whereby the outwardly Haring upper lip of the side wall of said polish cup engages the indented band of the side wall of said overcap, thereby effecting a substantially air tight seal.

7. A shoe polishing kit in accordance With claim 6 wherein the side walls of said polish cup and overcap are equipped with locking means for securing said polish cup and overcap in assembled position.

8. A shoe polish kit comprising in combination an essentially cylindrical polish cup comprising a bottom wall, a side wall and an open end, said side Wall having a circumferential indentation and an outwardly aring upper lip, a sealing foil secured to the outwardly aring lip of the side wall of said polish cup and extending across the open end of said polishing cup, an essentially cylindrical polish applicator comprising a side wall and a bottom wall having a dauber secured thereto resting on said sealing foil and an essentially cylindrical overcap for said polish cup and applicator comprising a side Wall and a top wall, the relative height of said applicator and overcap being such that the applicator is compressed between said sealing foil and the top wall of said overcap, whereby a polish to be contained within the polish cup is protected lfrom contamination and evaporation of its volatile components by the sealing foil and undesirable rattling of the applicator within said overcap is eliminated.

9. A shoe polish kit in accordance With claim 8 wherein the side walls of said polish cup and overcap are equipped with locking means for securing said polish cup and overcap in assembled position.

References Cted'in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 

